March 2021 Saint of the Month: Patrick by Daniel

St. Patrick is one of the most well-known saints in the United States, yet you might be surprised how little of his life we actually know. What we do know about him comes from his autobiography, a letter he distributed denouncing British treatment of Irish Christians, and local folklore. Nevertheless, St. Patrick’s influence changed the whole of Ireland and he is one of the first things we think of when we think of the Irish!

Patrick was born around the fifth century in modern-day Great Britain. When he was about the age of sixteen, he was abducted from his family villa by Irish pirates. He was enslaved in Ireland and after six years, he was able to escape back home. His time in Ireland was a big milestone for Patrick’s spirituality because he had time to reflect on his ignorance and converted to Christianity. However, the journey home would not be easy. The crew ended up getting shipwrecked in the wilderness and they traveled for twenty-eight days struggling with hunger. Patrick played an active role in keeping group morale up and encouraged them to keep their faith in God. The group survived because God provided for them in their journey and they eventually reached their destination.

Patrick stayed with his family until one day he had a dream where the Irish people were earnestly asking that he return to them. He was deeply moved by this dream and he was inspired to study for the priesthood. He eventually became a bishop, however, he struggled with doubts because he felt he was not educated enough to minister to the Irish. This bothered him right up until the night he was supposed to leave for Ireland. However, once he arrived, all his doubts vanished and he was given the grace by God to persevere.

In the beginning, he faced a lot of opposition from the druid tribes and some even tried to have him killed! Patrick refused to give up and integrated the local culture to help make sense of Christianity to a foreign population. The most famous example was when Patrick used a shamrock to teach about the holy trinity. He was very diplomatic and would bring gifts to the local kings, but he refused to accept any in return. This meant that he was without a protector and was in constant mortal danger. On at least one occasion, he was beaten, robbed, and put in chains to be executed. Nevertheless, He baptized thousands, ordained priests to start communities, inspired wealthy women to become nuns, and converted sons of kings. He died and was buried under the first church that was built in Ireland.

For all we know about St. Patrick here are some more things we can learn from his life which could help us in our faith journey:

1. Sometimes God is calling you! With all that is happening in our world today, it can be easy for us to complain and throw our hands up in frustration. It can be easy for us to say to ourselves: who is going to change this? Well, as Patrick found out, sometimes God is calling us to be the solution. After recently converting to Christianity, God was already asking Patrick to take leadership and minister to his fellow crewmates through example.

2. God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called. Even with all of his education as a priest and as a bishop, Patrick still felt unsure of himself. Not only will Satan (the Accuser) often try to use our insecurities to try to steer us away from God, but sometimes he will use our desire for comfort against us. In order to deepen our relationship with Him, God will ask for us to move out of our comfort zones. Patrick was bombarded by negative thoughts right up until he set foot back onto Ireland. Yet, because he had a relationship with God, he was able to maintain his trust in the Lord and was given the grace to begin his mission.

3. Idle hands are the devil’s workshop. It’s ok to take a break once in a while. In fact, Sundays are a day of rest for Catholics! However, when the rest becomes more about avoiding responsibility, that is when it can be easy for the devil to tempt us into sin. Keeping busy does not mean just work, but it can mean enjoying more time with your family, helping the needy, or spending more time in prayer among other things.

After 40 years, with a bit of faith and little Irish luck, Patrick was able to convert all of Ireland to Catholicism. Despite his phenomenal success, he did not change as a person and remained a humble servant of God. As we continue to observe Lent, there will be times when we fail and times when we feel like giving up. All of this could cause us to be discouraged and ashamed to face God. St. Patrick shows us that if we believe our identity remains in Christ, we can ask God to be given the courage to face our fears and do His will.

So if you feel that God is distant from you, here is a good prayer to look to:

Christ with me,

Christ before me,

Christ behind me,

Christ in me,

Christ beneath me,

Christ above me,

Christ on my right,

Christ on my left,

Christ when I lie down,

Christ when I sit down,

Christ when I arise,

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.

Amen.

Be awesome and blossom 🌱

By: anh Daniel